


Oh no, just in time

by siephilde42



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: (because Sherlock took it), Don't copy to another site, Fluff, John goes on a Date, John goes through Sherlock's stuff to find his own phone, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:36:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23427859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siephilde42/pseuds/siephilde42
Summary: John Watson is going on a date, and Sherlock Holmes cannot figure out who with.
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Kudos: 40





	Oh no, just in time

John Watson was preparing for a date, that much was obvious. What with his new tuxedo and all. With that effort it must be a really special person. Curious. He had not detected any potential mates lately. Except for the contacts on the dating website John used. And on this obnoxious swiping app (whose name Sherlock did not remember), of course. He scoffed. "Well. I cannot see everything, can I?" Still, it bugged him that somehow, he had absolutely no clue. Worse still, he did not know why exactly it bothered him so much. It was not as if, in the past, he had paid much attention to whomever John happened to be together with at any given moment. "Just let him have some fun. Stop overthinking it", he tried to command himself. 

"Sherlock", the doctor's voice came from behind him, interrupting his train of thought. 

He turned around, his face calm and inscrutable as ever. "Yes?" 

"This or this one? What do you think?", John asked, holding up two bow ties, dark blue and a steel blue one. 

"Uh..." He could not remember the doctor asking him for fashion advice for a date, ever. Chuckling nervously, he replied "Uh, I think steel blue suits you better. I mean, your eyes..." 

"Thank you", John said, making his way back into his room. 

Sherlock Holmes could not remember ever commenting on John Watson's eyes, either. 

* 

Some time later, John put on his coat and walked up to Sherlock, who was lying on the couch. "Uh, I checked with Mrs Hudson. If you need to go outside, just leave Rosie with her" 

"Yeah. Good to know. Whatever", Sherlock answered. "Have a good time."  


"Oh, I'm sure I will. Thank you. And Sherlock, don't have Rosie let chocolate _and_ ice cream this time, please." 

The detective mumbled something unintelligible.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"I just said, it didn't seem to hurt her last time." 

"Yeah, of course, doing this sporadically does no harm. But as soon it becomes a habit, it..." 

"It won't. How could it? It's not as if you usually aren't around at dinner time." 

John sighed. "All right. Just don't let have her too much chocolate." 

"Of course not. Wouldn't want her to get a bellyache."

"Thank you." With this, the doctor finally left. 

When he heard the doctor's footsteps on the stairs, Sherlock thought _Off you go, to see... someone. I wonder what's so impressive about her that you bought... or rather rented a new tuxedo._ He sighed. 

Quieter footsteps approached. "Sherlock, can we play tea time?" 

He turned his head to smile at her. "Sure thing." 

* 

"So, who was it?", Rosie asked, pointing on the teddy which was lying on its stomach beside the "table", which was represented by a tea towel. 

"Rosie, don't you want to play tea time without a murder for once?" 

The girl shook her head. "No. That's boring." 

Sherlock chuckled quietly. "Quite right. Okay. First of all, I think we can clear Mr Cthulhu, as he was never anywhere near..." 

He was interrupted by his cellphone ringing. The ringtone told him it was Greg Lestrade. 

"Yes", he said. 

"Uh, I'm afraid there has been a crime at Talbot Road. Could you come over?" 

"What sort of crime?" 

"Please, it's urgent. Can you just come?" 

Sherlock looked down on Rosie, hesitating.

Before he could open his mouth, the girl asked "That's Uncle Greg, isn't it? Does he need your help?" 

Closing his hand over the phone, he replied "Well, it seems so. I..." 

"Then you should go", Rosie decided, already making her way downstairs to fetch Mrs Hudson. 

"Um...", Sherlock said after uncovering the phone. "All right. I'll come." 

"Thank God", Greg said. 

* 

At Talbot Road, the first thing Sherlock noticed was... the absence of Scotland Yard. Confused, he double-checked the house number Lestrade had given him after he had agreed to come. "Strange. Did he give me the wrong information or something?" He had already picked up his cellphone to call Greg back when his glance wandered down the street and found Angelo's. He squinted. Sitting in the window was... a man in a tuxedo? _Curious incidence._ Dropping the hand with the phone, he went over to the restaurant.

It was indeed John Watson sitting there, a tad overdressed. When Sherlock entered, he looked up and gave Sherlock a wave.

"Hey. Lestrade called me here, but I cannot see any trace of the Yard. Did you see anything?", the detective asked him, approaching the table.

"Nope. Cannot say that I noticed anything of the sort", John replied, smiling. 

"All right. Uh... it's almost 8 p.m. Your date seems to be late?"

"Oh no, they are just in time, actually", the doctor answered, not taking off his glance from Sherlock.  


".... ...."

"Sherlock..."

".... ...."

"Don't you want to sit down?"

Without much conscious thought, the detective did sit down.

"There. Isn't that better?"

Angelo came over to put the menus on the table and light the candle."Nice to have you two here again", he said.

When Angelo was out of earshot, Sherlock began stammering. "Uh... why... how... What prompted this? I mean, I thought..." What he didn't say was " _I thought you were just interested in women. I thought you wouldn't be interested in me. We established this right here, didn't we? Right at this table."_

"Because of the picture in your coat."

*** TWO WEEKS EARLIER ***

"Screw this", John exclaimed. "Not again. Why can't you use your own mobile? Where the hell did you put my phone?" He grabbed Sherlock's coat, emptying the pockets. No phone. Right. Last time it had been in the kitchen drawer, for whatever reason. "There you are. Now let me just put the stuff back in the coat and I'll..." He broke off when he caught a glimpse of the piece of paper he had pulled out when emptying the breast pocket. It was obviously a drawing made by Rosie. "Rosie!", he called.

*** SOME MORE DAYS AGO ***

"Sherlock, I drew something for you", Rosie exclaimed, running at him.

"Thank you, Rosie", the detective said, taking the picture.

"Won't you look at it?", she asked.

"Oh. Of course", he said, moving away from the microscope.

"Uh... what is that?", he stammered, even if it was obvious.

"That's you and Dad, holding hands."

 _Surrounded by a lot of hearts._ "Uh..."

"Don't you like it?"

"No, no. I do like it. It's just... It's just... I don't think your dad would like it."

"Why not?"

"Because that's not... that's just not how it is."

"But you do like it?"

"I do. I do, very much", Sherlock said, picking up the picture.

*** TWO WEEKS AGO ***

"That's... that's what Sherlock said about your drawing? Really?"

"Yes. Why don't you like it?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Sherlock said you wouldn't like it. Don't you?"

"I, I, don't know, to be honest. I..." He sighed. "Don't tell him I found it, okay? I need to think about that."

*** AT ANGELO'S, SOME TIME AFTER 8 P.M. ***

"So... you thought about it", Sherlock concluded, trying to avoid looking at John or at the picture which was lying on the table by now.

"I did, yes. And I... I realised two things."

"And that would be...?"

"One, if you were afraid that I would see the picture and you didn't care about it, you just could have destroyed it."

"Well, Rosie made it", Sherlock mumbled, still not meeting John's glance.

"Okay. But you could have hidden it in another place. Not carrying it with you wherever you go."

"And two... the more I thought about it, I admitted to myself I actually like that picture. Quite a lot."

Sherlock looked at him, surprised.

"I wouldn't have set up you as my date for tonight otherwise, would I?"

"I... I suppose not." The detective raised his eyebrow. "But..."

"But...?"

"But, you could just have asked me."

"Just asked you? Now, that would have been rather boring, wouldn't it?"

"Oh... Oh, God", Sherlock laughed. "I'm... rather a bad influence, am I?"

"Definitely. No doubt about it", John joined in. "Hey, Angelo!"

"Yes?"

"Could you bring two glasses of house wine for my date and me, please?"

*** THE END ***


End file.
